Sprinkler head



Patented Aug. 31,1937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCF.

2,091,190 SPRINKLER HEAD Oscar a. Mueller and Philip L. Irving, Port Huron,

Mlch., Huron,

Application October l,

2 Claims.

sprinkler and the outermost sprayed region; the

provision of a sprinkler head of the class described which is adapted to project a plurality of arcuate sprays at different levels on the head,

.1 and at different angles of projection; the provision of a sprinkler-head of the class described 18 which includes a number of telescoping elements greater than two, whereby at least two telescoping elements \are separately forced into progressively more extended positions under water pressure, and thereby adapted to project a'plurality 90 of sprays at different levels; and the provision of a sprinkler head of the class described which is relatively simple and economical in construction. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application .of which will be indicated in the following claims.

, In the accompanying drawing, in which are illustrated several of various possible embodi ments of the invention, v

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a sprinkler head involving the present invention, in retracted position; I

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the head of Fig. 1 in extended position;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the head of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical, axial section 1 of the head of Fig. 1, in retracted position;

' Fig. 5 is a vertical, axial section of the head of Fig. 1, in extended position, taken at rightangles to Fig. 4} and,

stantially along lines 6-4; and i -I of Fig. 5.

"Similar reference characters indicate porresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is illustrated at numeral I an outside body portion threaded .at the bottom'to be attached .to a standpipe such as 3 which pipe connects with 56 va sprinkling system or the like. The body i is Figures 6 and 7 are cross sections taken sub-- assignors to Mueller Brass 00., Port Mich, a corporation of Michigan 1936, Serial No. 104,419

(01. zap-s1) provided with flats 5 to which a wrench may be applied for attaching purposes.

Interiorly the body I is provided with vertical grooves 1 (Figures 5 and 6) forslidably accom-' modating a pair of cars 9 on a slidable outlet nozzle II. The outlet or -water ejecting nozzle 7 II slidably cooperates at its upper end with a collar l3 threaded to the body I so that it is l. The slidable outlet II has .inlet portions l at the-lower end thereof for receiving water from" the pipe}. The lower end ll of the nozzle Ii is closed, and threadedly receives the threaded lower end of a stem i9, thereby positioning said stem' l9 rigidly in the center of nozzle Ii, in spaced relation to the walls thereof. The.upper end of the stem i9, which projects above the upper end of the nozzle ii, is also threaded, as indicated at numeral 2|. Numerals 22 and 23 indicate a pair of spray-directing, collar-like elements later to be described, that are threaded on the portion 2 I. An inverted conical head or top 25 is threaded onto the portion 2i at the end thereof, above the elements 22 and 23.

The collar i3 is provided with an upper. interior conical seat '21, conforming generally to the conical portion of the head 25. In its lower portion the collar i3 has a second inner conical :seat 29, which is adapted to engage the reverse-conical surface 3| of an annular shoulder 33 on the nozzle ii. It will be noted that the heretofore mentioned ears 9 extend from this shoulder 33.

A central bore 15 of the collar I3 receives the nozzle, II with suihcient clearance only to permitextending and retracting of said nozzle asdescribed hereinafter, thus serving to hold said nozzle ii in vertical position. A number of grooves 31 (nine in the present embodiment, see Fig. '1) are broached or otherwise formed in the inner surface of bore 35.. These grooves function as follows: When the nozzle is in its extended, Fig. 2 position, and spraying water, there is manifestly ta tendency for some water to wash back from the surrounding soil, carrying with it sand, dirt particles, and the like. With old forms oi. sprinklers, 'such sand and -dirt,,particles wedged into the mechanism and frequently, when the water was turned ofl, caused the sprinkler, to remain in ex tended "position. This led to frequent breakage of both lawn mowers and sprinklers. However,

1 the grooves 31, in combination with the other features of the-invention, eifectively reduce or completely 'eliminatethistendency of the sprinklers to remain in extendedposition. This is beadapted to be moved telescopingly within the body ,1

cause (1) thearea of contact between the nozzle and collar is greatly reduced, (2) channels-are provided into which the drainage water, with its content, quickly flows, and (3) channels are pro- 5 vided for a non-harmful leakage of seepage of water from the body I, thus establishing a countercurrent to the incoming drainage water and thereby effectively stopping the influx of sand, dirt, etc. A recess 33 is provided in the collar l3 for permitting the application of a spanner wrench to tighten the collar on the body I.

The elements 22 and 23 hereinbefore referred to each comprise a central collar portion 4!, is threaded to fit on the threaded portion 2| of the stem I 9. The collars 4| support webs 43, which webs 43 are provided with a plurality of water passages or holes 45. The webs 43 support upstanding cylin'drical portions 41.

The lower surface of the webs 43 and cylindrical portions 41 of each of the elements 22 and 23 are conical in form, with the apex of the cone pointing downwardly, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 4. The apex angles of the cone forms of such 25 surfaces are so established that the lower surface of the element 22 has the most obtuse angle, while the lower surface of the element 23 has-an apex angle intermediate the apex angle of the lower surface of element 22 and the apex angle of the lower surface of head 25.

The upper end of the nozzle II is shaped to be complementary to the apex angle of the lower surface of the element 22. the cylindrical portion 41 of the element 22 is 5 shaped to be complementary to the lower surface of the element 23. The upper edge ofthe cylindrical portion 41 of the-element 23 is shaped to be complementary to the conical lower surface of the head 25.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the outer diameter. of the cylindricalportion 41 of the element 23 is somewhat greater than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 41 of the element 22. 45 The upper edge of the nozzle Il,-in addition to being formed so as to be complementary to the lower surface of the element 22, is provided with a large number of radial notches or serrations 5|. Similar radial serrations 5| are provided in '50 the upper edge of cylindrical portion 41 of element hand the upper edge of cylindrical portion 41 of element 23. If a. "spray is desired over an entire circle of 360, the notches or serrations II are continued entirely around the nozzle II and elements 22 and 23, in the manner shown in the drawing, but if it is desired to omitthe projection. of a spray through any particular angle, then this is accomplished .by omitting the serrations 5| in that angle. a I 4 0 in assembling the device as thus described,

stem I5 is first threaded into position inthe nozzle ll. Then the element 22 is threaded down on the portion 2| 'of stem l3, until it fits tightly against the upper edge oi nozzle IL. 'Ihen the element 23 is similarly threaded down tightly on the element 22. Finally, thehead 25 is threaded down tightly on the element 23. In order to facilitate threading the head 25 into position, it is preferably provided with a screw-driver-re- 7 ceiving slot'l3.

The operation of the sprinkler head as thus constructed and assembled is as follows:

In normal installation, as indicated in Fig. l, the top of the collar I3 is mounted flush with the 76 ground, the sprinkler thus constituting alo- The upper end of called sub-surface installation. Gravity normally holds the nozzle II, and all associated elements, in the retracted position shown in Figures 1 and 4. However, when water under pressure is admitted to the head from the pipe 3, the pressure of the water forces the nozzle ll upwardly in thevhead, to the extended position shown in Figures 2 and 5. Upward movement of the nozzle is limited by the engagement of the face 3! of nozzle H with the face 29.0f collar l3. Water flows into the interior of the nozzle ll through the opening 15, and rises upwardly through said nozzle. 'The water then passes out of the nozzle II, or is projected, in, three separate levels of sprays. The uppermost level of spray is projected through the notches orserrations 5| at the top of element 23, and is guided by the cooperating surfaces of element 23 and head 25. By reason of the angular arrangement heretofore described, this upper level spray is projected at, relatively,

the greatest angle to the horizontal position, and

level at an intermediate distance, somewhat closer to the head than the upper level spray. The lower level spray is projected through the notches or serrations 5| in the upper edge of nozzle II, and is guided by the cooperating surfaces of nozzle H and element 22. level spray is at relatively the least angle of projection; hence, in its trajectory it will hit the ground level at relatively the closest position to the head.

It is thus seen that three separate sprays are projected from the head of the present invention, each of which extends through an arc of 360 or less, and each of which is guided to hitthe ground at a diiierent distance from the head.

By properly designing the angles of the threesprays, it will be found that all of the ground from the sprinkler head out to the outermost limits of projections will receivewater in the manner desired. In previous sprinkler heads of this general class, where but one spray, was projected from a sprinkler head, trouble was frequentl'y'encountered in that no water or at least insuflicient water reached the region between (the sprinkler head itself and the innermost limits of the spray.

If it is desired to sprinkle a circle of largerradius', the number of sprays may be increased; in other words, instead of three levels of sprays as in the present embodiment, the sprinkler head may be constructed of four or five or even more levels of sprays, in accordance with the principles disclosed.

In view of the above, it will be seen that theseveral objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense. 1

This lower We claim: I v 1. In a sprinkler head, a body, a nozzle telescopingly received in said body, said nozzle comprising a cylindrical portion and a stem rigidly mounted centrally in said cylindrical portion, at least one collar-like element mounted on said stem and engaging the upper end of said cylind-rical portion, and a head mounted on said stem and engaging the upper end of said collar-like portion, said nozzle having water discharge openings at the upper end' thereof, bounded at one side by the lower surface of said collar-like portion, and said collar-like'portion having water ejecting openings at the upper end thereof, said last-named openings being bounded at one side by the under surface of said head.

2. In a sprinkler head, a body, a nozzle teie scopingly received in said body, said nozzle comprising a cylindrical portion and a stem rigidly 1 mounted centrally in said cylindrical portion, at

tion, and said collar-like portion having water ejectingopenings at the upper end thereof, said last-named openings being bounded at one side by the under surface of said head, the water ejecting openings in the said collar-like portion being adapted to project water at an angle of projection greater than the angle of projection oi. water from the said openings inthe upper end of said nozzle.

OSCAR B. MUELLER. PHILIP L IRVING. 

